Fourwheelers and Angels!

As we are heading into April and my favorite holiday is just around the corner, I get really excited about Easter and our annual trip down to the cabin. Every Easter, the entire clan heads down to the family cabin with four wheelers and eggs to color, candy and s'mores galore.

My mom called me last week and told me that she was having reoccuring nightmares of the time I rolled my four wheeler and myself down the side of a mountain. Haven't heard this one? Sit down, this is a good one.

One time we took my side of the family down to the cabin with four wheelers in tow. Brian and I decided to take my dad up to the top of one of the mountains, which actually is flat at the top because it is a plateau. I was excited as ever to be able to hop on my own four wheeler and spend the day with my dad and Brian. Our trip was quite lovely and really doesn't get interesting until the ride back. My first hint that I was being over confident on my machine was when I was riding down a hill and didn't almost make the turn. I was young and dumb and should have heeded that first warning.

My accident happened as we were climbing up the side of the mountain on a "State Designated Trail". Yeah, it surprises me what men consider to be a road. This "trail" was recommended by the state and I was actually a little surprised that the state would consider it being a safe trail for one to actually ride on it. The edge was not a straight cliff down, but was a steep slope of volcanic black rocks and rocks and grass, etc.

I went ahead of my dad and Brian to lead the way and was going a little faster than I should have. Who knew I needed to go slow up hill, seriously? My machine hit the edge of a ratherly large black rock and jerked my handle bars to the left off the side of the trails edge. Being a very large machine, I did not have the muscle strength to stop my handle bars from steering in the wrong direction. I remember thinking that this was out of my control. I was out of control!!!

Very clearly I remember the instructions to dodge down under the handle bars on the left side of the machine. I closed my eyes and from there I cannot tell you what happened other than what I felt.

My left hip hit a rock and then I felt my body hit the ground. The next thing I know, I feel the tire of the machine slam my face and then the very clear announcement of a rock behind my head. My thoughts were that I was going to have an ugly black tire mark on my face (deep thoughts of a 23 year old). At this point I was rolled forward and my eyes opened to watch the four wheeler crash and tumble the rest of the way down the mountian. As I am watching the four wheeler, red rain drops were spewing in a forward projection. Now those of you that have not had head wounds before, like myself, would not know that head wounds bleed profusely. It frightened me and I grabbed my head screaming Brian's name.

(This is the moment in the story where you ask me where my helmet was? Nope, I didn't have one. I plead complete naiveness because my husband had not educated me at the time about helmets and their family never wore helmets when they rode the four wheelers. I know, complete stupidity, I admit it! Thank you, moving on!)

Brian quickly climbed down to me and my dad, looking like he was going to have a heart attack, watched us with a completely pale face. Brian was concerned that the machine may have crushed my main body and I said no, just my face. I had a huge gash in the back of my head, but everything else seemed to be ok. I had to get myself back on the back of Brian's four wheeler because we were still 20 minutes driving distance away from the cabin. I cried the whole way back.

When I returned home, I was checked over and my gash probably needed stitches. I refused because they would have to shave my head and I was not going to do it. (yep that's right, can you hear Carly Simon's "Your So Vain" in the background). So I laid in Brian's arms as they tried to figure out if I had a concusion or not.

Now, how blessed I was that I was not hurt more than I was. The closest hospital was over an hour and a half away in Richfield. There are no paremedics in the little town we were at. It took a group of men to fish out the mangled four wheeler off the mountain, and I am so fortunate that I was able to get off the machine before it continued to roll down the rest of the mountain. Do you remember the part where I told you the tire hit my face? That was a 400+lb machine smashing my heading into a rock behind me. My skull should have been crushed. All I have is an indent in the back of my skull. Go ahead, ask me if you can feel it next time you see me. I know that I had heavenly help.

So, why do you ask that I have shared this story with you?

1. Mom, I am fine! I know that I have angels around me all the time protecting me. I believe in angels!

Another time, I will have to share the spider story and almost slamming my Geo Metro in the wall of a Chevron up at the University of Utah. Do not worry for me, I am doing just fine.

2. To this day, I am still trying to get back on a four wheeler by myself. I am a huge fan of resiliancy and I do believe that when you get bucked off the horse, you have got to get back on.

3. As I head down to the cabin in a couple of weeks, I still smell the blood in the shower down at the cabin, even though it has been years since the accident. It makes me gag, but what can I do? Grossed you out? Good! Happy Easter Everyone!

PS - EVERYONE NEEDS TO WEAR A HELMET WHEN RIDING ON ANY TYPE OF MOVING OBJECT!